X-ray response of tunnel junctions with a trapping layer

The use of trapping layers in superconductive tunnel junctions may drastically improve their functioning as X-ray detectors. Information about these trapping layers can be obtained from I/V-curves and X-ray spectra. The application of a magnetic field causes a substantial reduction of the bandgap in the trapping layer

High-Tc bolometers with silicon-nitride spiderwebsuspension for far-infrared detection

High-Tc GdBa2Cu3O7-δ (GBCO) superconducting transition edge bolometers with operating temperatures near 90 K have been made with both closed silicon-nitride membranes and patterned silicon-nitride (SiN) spiderweb-like suspension structures. As a substrate silicon-on-nitride (SON) wafers are used which are made by fusion bonding of a silicon wafer to a silicon wafer with a silicon-nitride top layer. The resulting monocrystalline silicon top layer on the silicon-nitride membranes enables the epitaxial growth of GBCO. By patterning the silicon-nitride the thermal conductance G is reduced from about 20 to 3 μW/K. The noise of both types of bolometers is dominated by the intrinsic noise from phonon fluctuations in the thermal conductance G. The optical efficiency in the far infrared is about 75% due to a goldblack absorption layer. The noise equivalent power NEP for FIR detection is 1.8 pW/√Hz, and the detectivity D* is 5.4×1010 cm √Hz/W. Time constants are 0.1 and 0.6 s, for the closed membrane and the spiderweb like bolometers respectively. The effective time constant can be reduced with about a factor 3 by using voltage bias. Further reduction necessarily results in an increase of the NEP due to the 1/f noise of the superconductor

Radiative ballistic phonon transport in silicon-nitride membranes at low temperatures

We studied the phonon transport in free-standing 1 µm thick silicon-nitride membranes at temperatures around 100 mK. By varying the geometry of the membranes and the dimensions of the heater element, we are able to distinguish between radiative and diffuse phonon transport. The data indicate that the transport is radiative ballistic with a lower limit to a phonon mean-free path of about 1 mm and that the probability for specular reflection from the surface is at least 0.99. The tested silicon-nitride membranes were grown on Si(100), Si(110), and polycrystalline-Si and the transport properties show no dependency on the substrat

X-ray emission from the planetary nebula NGC 1360

Wetensch. publicatieFaculteit der Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappe

Proximity effect Nb/Al,AlOxide, Al/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions

Regions with reduced energy gap induced by the proximity effect give rise to quasi-particle loss in Josephson-junction X-ray detectors, but may also be used advantageously for quasi-particle collection. The influence of the thickness of the Al proximity layers in Nb/Al1 , AlOx, Al2/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions on the electrical characteristics has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. Theoretically it is found that the strength of the proximity effect is mainly determined by the proximity effect is mainly determined by the proximity parameters γM1 (γM2) of the electrodes. Good fits of the measured I-V curves with theory were obtained for junctions with thicknesses dA11 ranging from 4 to 25 nm and dA12=3 nm, with γM2≈0.12 and γM1/γM2=dA11/d A12. For all junctions the proximity knee remains more pronounced than predicted

Low noise far-infrared detection at 90 K using high-T(c) superconducting bolometers with silicon-nitride beam suspension

High-T(c) GdBa2Cu3O7-d (GBCO) superconducting transition edge bolometers with operating temperatures near 90 K and receiving area of 1 mm2 have been made with both closed silicon-nitride membranes and patterned silicon-nitride (Si(x)N(y)) spiderweb-like suspension structures. To enable epitaxial growth of the GBCO layer, a thin monocrystalline Si layer is prepared on the silicon-nitride base, using fusion bonding techniques. By pattering the silicon-nitride supporting membrane the thermal conductance G is reduced from 20 to 3.5 μW/K. The noise of both types of bolometers is fully dominated by the intrinsic noise from phonon fluctuations in the thermal conductance G. The optical efficiency in the far infrared is about 75% due to a gold black absorption layer. The optical noise equivalent power (NEP) is 1.8 pW/√Hz, and the detectivity D* is 5.4x1010 cm√Hz/W. Time constants are 0.1 and 0.6 s, for the closed membrane and the spiderweb like bolometers respectively. We have observed an empirical limit for the NEP for this type of bolometers. The effective timeconstant can be reduced with a factor of 3 by using an electronic feedback system or by using voltage bias. A further reduction necessarily results in an increase of the NEP due to the 1/f noise of the superconductor

Ultrasensitive TES Bolometers for Space Based FIR Astronomy

We present results from the development of a background limited transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer for the wavelength band 30–60 μm. The bolometer consists of a Ti/Au superconducting thermometer and a Ta radiation absorber deposited on a 200μm×300μm200μm×300μm membrane of SixNySixNy suspended on long, narrow legs. This device is voltage biased and the current through the device is measured by a SQUID amplifier. The thermometer has transition temperature Tc = 108 mKTc = 108 mK and the device is operated from a 70 mK base plate. FIR radiation is coupled into a multimodc horn with entrance aperture of 450 μm, length 4.5 mm and exit aperture of 45 μm, which feeds a metal integrating cavity containing the detector. The radiation band is defined by a pair of lowpass and highpass mesh filters in front of the horn. Here we present measurements of optical noise equivalent power (NEP), optical efficiency, dynamic range and time constant. The results show that measured TES detectors are close to meeting the requirement of the “Band 3” of SAFARI FTS imaging instrument [1] on the SPICA mission [2]